USA > Massachusetts > Clippings pertaining to the history and reminiscences of the 32nd Massachusetts Infantry > Part 5
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Sunday morning we returned to Fairfax where our regiment was sent on picket. Owing to the ignorance of the staff officer who was sent to post us, we marched and counter-marched for hours, and until we were disgusted with army life, and especial- ly with our guide. Having found our place, we were properly posted along the picket line, which extended through a tract of wooded country in which Mosby and his band frequently rendezvoused, and from which they operated upon our trains, or any small force that came within their reach.
There we remained till the following mori- ing when we joined our division only to remain with them through the day however, for that night we were sent on picket again. The next morning we were withdrawn and detailed to guard our supply train which followed our corps towards the front. Our army having defeated the enemy's move- ments by falling back and covering Wash- ington, had now assumed the defensive and were driving them back to their stronghold again. That night we reached the Bull Run battle-field where the train halted and we encamped. It being dark when we ar- rived there we did not pitch our tents, but spread our blankets on the ground just where we halted, and wrapped ourselves in them for the night. I had slept before on the battle-field, but never among the dry bones of my comrades. In the morning when I awoke I could not refrain from shuddering at the sight I beheld. Within my reach were human bones,-parts of the skeleton of some comrade who possibly in the first Bull Run battle gave his life for his country, and whose bones had ever since remained unburied. After breakfast, while waiting for the train to start, I took a stroll about the field where "charged the Black Horse Cavalry," and where fell many of our comrades,-some of whom had found a soldiers' grave, but whose bodies had been but slightly covered with earth just where, and as they fell. The little mounds scattered here and there over the field were their rest- ing places, and their remains, some of which (from the effect of wind and storm) had become exposed to view, were still equipped with cap and cartridge-box and belt, and showed conclusively that they fell in the fight with their armor on. A com- rade with me on opening one of the boxes discovered a letter in a good state of pres- ervation. I tried to get it from him that I might forward it to the writer, and thereby account for one of the thousands of soldiers opposite whose name in the army record is written missing.
I find among my army letters the follow- ing, which I copy :
"CAMP 32D MASS. VOLS.,
NEAR FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE, VA., October 15, 1863. DEAR -. I hope this terrible war will soon be ended. I would not have it settled though, on an any other than honor- able terms. I would not give a single point to traitors,-rebels against the best govern- ment on the face of the earth. I would rather serve my time out,-yea, and re- enlist for three years more (if God shall spare my life) than sacrifice a principle."
I do not quote the above to boast of my patriotism, but to show the spirit which actuated the men that composed the rank and file of our regiment, and as evidence of the truthfulness of what I represent I would state that within three months from the date of my letter nearly all of our regi- ment had re-enlisted for three years more (or during the war.)
From Bull Run we marched to Warren- ton Junction by easy marches, arriving there Oct. 30th, and encamped for a week.
Nov. 7th we broke camp and advanced again towards the Rappahannock. We had not proceeded far before we saw signs of trouble ahead. The enemy had placed an obstacle in our way in the form of a fort at the ford near Rappahannock Station. We halted under cover of a belt of woods which separated us from a large open field that lay next to the river, on the north bank of which was the fort. There our corps formed in line of battle with the@th Corps on our right. When all was ready for the attack we advanced through the woods into the open field directly in front of the fort. No sooner did we come within range of the rebel guns than they opened on us with a range so accurate that the first shell thrown exploded in our line of battle, killing and wounding several men in the brigade do our right. Instantly we were ordered to oblique to the left, and marched double quick to the cover of the woods to the right of the fort. The movement was executed so quickly that the guns of the enemy did no further execution in our ranks, and on reaching the woods we advanced so near to their works as to deceive the gunners as to our position, and therefore were not harmed by their ammunition which passed over our heads. Although we were comparatively safe as we lay there, the shot and shell came so near us as to cause us to dodge now and then. I remember one of our officers, noted for his pluck, remained on his horse near by where I lay. A shell passed over his head so near as to make him think that " discretion was the better part of valor," (judging from his actions) for he at once dismounted and sent his horse to the rear by his servant, while he took a position as low as the humblest private.
We remained in the background, not get- ting into the fight except as I have de- scribed, (at long range) while the 6th Corps moved cantiously forward until nearly dark, when they charged upon the fort, capturing it and quite a large number of prisoners, when the fighting ceased and we camped near the ford for the night.
The day following (Sunday) we moved down the river to Kelly's Ford, where we crossed. We forded the stream and ad- vanced about three miles, when we halted. We remained in that position till Monday evening when we returned, and fording the river again encamped near by.
Tuesday (the 10th) we marched to Beal- ton Station, where we picketed the road leading towards Morrisville till the 19th, when we returned to Kelly's Ford, where we did picket duty till Nov. 26th, (Thanks- giving day) when we advanced to the Rapi- dan which we crossed on a pontoon bridge, aud marching about five miles halted for the night near Robinson's Tavern. The next day we moved to New Hope Churchi to the extreme left of our army, and relieved our cavalry under command of General Gregg, which we found hotly engaged with the enemy. We moved forward immediate- ly to their support. Advancing within easy range of the enemies artillery we halted in a road, and made a slight breastwork of the fence which we pulled down for our better protection, and behind which we lay.
No sooner had we got into position than the enemy opened a brisk fire on us with a battery from a hill beyond the open field in our front. For a few moments they made it very uncomfortable for us, and only a few moments, for one of our batteries running into position at our left in the edge of the woods, soon not only effectually silenced their guns, but drove the battery from its position, and we heard no more from it. I said the enemy made it very uncomfortable for us. It was not pleasant to have their shell explode so near as to scatter their fragments in our ranks, and when a piece of a shell about the size of a robin's egg hit mne on my ear, I trembled (as I picked it up and put it in my pocket) lest the next one should deal me a more serious, if not a fatal blow.
We held our position during the after- noon without further fighting, except by our skirmishers who were engaged. At dark our company was sent a little to the right and forward into the woods which separated us from the enemy, where we formed a picket line and remained through the night. We could hear the enemy moving artillery, wagon trains, and troops from our front to our right ail night long, and at daylight we found that not only the enemy, but the most of our own troops had gone to the vicinity of Mine Run, where we joined them about noon near Robertston's Tavern.
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Sunday morning (the 29th of Nov.) our corps was placed in the centre of the line of battle at Mine Run, with orders to be ready to charge the enemy's works at . a given hour when a signal gun was to be fired. There the two great armies of Virginia were brought face to face, each occupying a strong natural position about a mile apart, with a deep valley between, through which passed a small stream called Mine Run.
I said each army occupied a strong natur- al position. The Confederate army how- ever, had ns at a great disadvantage They knew it and expressed it by acts which spoke louder than words,-such as coming ont from behind their works by the hun- dreds into the open field, seemingly to chal- lenge us to charge across the valley, which they knew (and so did we) would be to many of our number the valley of death. For we had to charge down the hill across 1 the Run and up the opposite slope, in the face of a hundred guns, planted so as to sweep the field with grape and canister the moment we came within range, and ten thousand muskets in the hands of the ene- my, who were evidently not only ready, but anxious to see us storm their position, that they might mow us down like grass.
Before taking our place in line we were ordered to remove our knapsacks and all needless baggage that might interfere with our movements when the charge was or- dered. That was the time that tried our nerves. The field was before us. The ob- stacles to be met and overcome we could see and (with our past experience) comprehend at a glance, and the contemplated move- ment if executed must necessarily involve- a fearful sacrifice of life and limb. For hours we watched the enemy, and waited in suspense the signal that was to open the conflict. Who, if any of us could survive the terrible storm we were sure to en- counter should the charge be made, was the question that doubtless filled all minds, and the great relief we experienced when the order to charge was countermanded, can better be imagined than described. At dark we retired a little way from our posi- tion in line where we built small fires on which we cooked our supper, and where we lay down to rest. About midnight we were aroused, and falling into line moved to the right about a mile, where our corps joined the 6th Corps which occupied a position in the woods, and where we formed in line of battle. The following day will long be re- membered by us on account of our bitter conflict with Jack Frost instead of Johnnie
Reb. The day was extremely cold, freezing the water in our canteens. And although in danger of freezing ourselves we were or- dered not to build fires, or in any way make ourselves conspicuous, for we were within range of the enemy's guns. Our situation was one of exposure and peril, for if we obeyed orders we were sure to perish with the cold, and if we disobeyed, as sure to draw the enemy's fire, with the risk of los- ing life or limb. We took the latter risk,- built fires by which to warm ourselves, or by the dozen chased each other in a circle around a tree or stump to keep our blood in circulation and our limbs from freezing. And when a solid shot or a fragment of a shell came whizzing through the woods where we lay, we hugged the ground more closely, or sought the shelter of some rock or stump or tree, until the firing ceased, when we resumed our exercise, or gathered around the fire again to cook our coffee, warm ourselves and make another target for the enemy.
Thus for three days and nights the two great armies of Virginia menaced each other across the valley of Mine Run. That night the movement was abandoned and the campaign ended by the withdrawal of our army to the north of the Rappahannock, and the joy we experienced in escaping a second Slaughter Pen was enough to stimulate us for a tramp, tramp, tramp till broad day- light in the morning, at which time we halted for breakfast, just north of the Rapi- dan.
We then marched to Stevensburg where we halted for the night. We were not only tired and cold, but hungry as well. I recol- lect seeing the men gathering the corn from the dirt where the cavalry horses had been fed, and eating it with a relish that denoted that they were hungry. The next day we marched to Bealton Station, thence to Lib- erty, (two miles beyond) where we went into winter quarters in a beautiful pine grove.
24 mes para
Veteran Furlough and Picket Duty at Liberty, Va.
At the [close of the campaign of 1863 it was evident that a crisis had come when our government must adopt extreme measures to meet the exigences of tlie war. The terrible marches of the past eight months and desperate battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg had re- duced our army to its minimum. Volun- tary enlistment was slow. Men who were willing to buckle on the armor and fill the gaps in our ranks were comparatively few, and it became necessary to resort to con- scription to secure the men that must be had for the successful prosecution of the war, which had assumed gigantic propor- tions.
While the number was small (and grow- ing less) of men who, even for a large bounty, were willing to offer themselves upon their country's altar, there were at the North thousands of men, (whom I shall designate as copperheads, an enemy in the rear, whose weapon was their tongue) who sympathized with the enemy in our front, and prolonged the war, at the sacrifice of thousands of lives and mil- lions of treasure, by denouncing the gov- ernment,and the army, thus encouraging the enemy,and discouraging enlistment; and some of the more desperate ones in their ranks resisted by force, the lawful measure of the government for raising men for carrying on to a successful issue, the struggle for the life of the nation.
There was still another cause for solici- tude on the part of our government,name- ly: The expiration of the term of service of a large number of three years' regi- ments, which would occur just in the midst of the next campaign, which in all human probability was as sure to come in due time,as the spring was to follow the winter, and to be a more desperate strug- gle than the preceding one.
Janny -
It was very important that the govern- ment take prompt measures, to secure the extension of the term of service of the veteran troops. Accordingly on the first of Dang 1864, authority was given (if I re- member rightly) to muster out as many men of the three years' regiments as would, for a bounty of $325, and a fur- lough of thirty-five daysre-enlist for three years more or during the war.
The order was promptly responded to by a large number of men, who had seen hard service, and been many times under fire, but who, having enlisted to fight for
a sacred principle, were ready, in the try- ing hour, to re-enlist and so re-consecrate themselves upon their country's altar to suffer and to die if need be for a just and righteous cause.
Our regiment was one of the first to re- spond to the call (not every man). Three hundred and thirty out of about four hun- dred were mustered in for a new term of service on the fifth of the month, and on the 13th, by "special order" from General Sykes, (our Corps commander) our regi- ment as an organization, with arms and regimental colors, and all our officers ex- cept five, who were left in charge of the battalion which did not re-enlist, left the seat of war for "Home, sweet home."
On Sunday, 17th inst., we reached Bos- ton about noon, and being the first veteran regiment to return to the Old Common- wealth, our arrival to the city, was hon- ored by the ringing of bells, an artillery salute, and a warm reception by the city authorities in the "Cradle of Liberty."
Our campaign during the four succeed- ing weeks I will not attempt to describe, except to say that it was an active one, for we had many engagements; without the loss of a single man, however, as all were present at roll call on the 17th of Februa- ry, when we left Boston again, for the "land of Dixie," where we arrived in our old camp at Liberty, Virginia, on the 23d.
Having returned to our post of duty we very soon made ourselves at home in our old quarters, which had been carefully guarded by that portion of our regiment that did not re-enlist, and therefore re- mained in our camp during our fur- lough.
We were immediately assigned to the duty of picketing a portion of our line op- posite our camp, and extending a mile or more. Our duties were arduous. We were on the line at least two days and nights each week, going out at 9, A. M. and remaining twenty-four hours before we were relieved. The weather was cold and a part of the time the ground was covered with snow to the depth of several inches. Each day there were three times as many men detailed for duty as there were posts assigned our regiment to pick- et.
The guard was divided into three re- liefs so that each relief was on duty eight out of the twenty-four hours, (only two hours at a time, however.) When off duty we retired to a place a little way from the line which was known as "the reserve," and where we kept a good fire burning
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day and night. Our quarters were as roomy and airy as the field we occupied, for we had no shelter except the canopy of heaven and no bed except a few boughs spread on the snow on which we slept.
You can form a good idea of our posi- tion when sleeping, if you imagine the fire to be the centre or lub of a wheel, and the men around it wrapped in their wool blankets with feet towards the fire, as the spokes.
When on duty we were exposed to the rain, sleet and snow, and were frequently drenched with the storm. I still have a vivid recollection of some of the rain storms I experienced in Virginia. I will describe my experience in one that oc- curred when I was on duty there. I was on the picket line when the storm begun. It not only rained, but it poured down in torrents. You can form a faint idea, at least, of the severity of the storm when I say that in going from the reserve to the line I crossed a stream of water without wetting my feet, and I wore "gunboats" or army brogans, but in my return two hours later I forded the same stream, which had swollen till the water was waist deep.
Rather out of season (February) for tak- ing a bath in the river. Nevertheless we were accustomed to them at all seasons of the year, and all hours of the day, and night, and the wonder is that with all the exposure to weather and water I never took cold.
Although camp and picket duty was more monotonous and less perilous than actual campaign life, nevertheless we were constantly exposed to attacks by guerilla bands who infested that region and stealthily fired upon our pickets, or in small companies dashed through our line, shooting down whoever of the guard chanced to stand in their way, then bold- ly dashing upon the headquarters of some brigade or division with the view of cap- turing the General and his staff.
They were not always successful in their expeditions, however, as was the case one dark night in March when a squad of Mosby's men attacked our Divi- sion headquarters. I recollect it well, for I was Sergt. of our picket line that niglit. The enemy crossed the line below where our regiment picketed. The report of the carbine that dispatched the picket on his beat, alarmed the guard at headquarters, who were prepared to give the intruders what they least desired when they reached the camp, namely : a warm reception; fir- ing a volley into their ranks that caused
them to retire as rapidly as they had ad- vanced, leaving on the snow a bloody trail as unmistakable evidences that somebody was hurt.
The volley fired was a signal which made things lively in the camps of the several regiments composing our Division. My tent-mate, who was in camp, told me that the regiment turned out, and ad- vanced a little way in the direction of the firing, selecting a good position to defend the camp, and waited for further devel- opments of the enemy.
I was not very fond of picket duty, but when my mate described his experience of turning out of his tent half-awake, hali- dressed, and half-equipped, and thus fal- ling into line,and marching out of camp to remain an hour at midnight in the snow and in such a plight, I felt that I was lucky that niglit at least, to be on picket.
A soldier's life was fraught with hard- ships, privations and dangers, but faintly understood by those who did not experi- ence them. Notwithstanding what we suffered there was a bright side to our experience, brightened, I doubt not, by the fact that the cause in which, and for which we suffered was a righteous one. In camp and on the tramp, jokes among the men were the rule,rather than the ex- ception. I call to mind one that was played on a comrade of my company soon after our return from our veteran fur- lough, which shows how we longed for letters from home. The comrade referred to had anxiously watched the mail for several days for a letter from some one, but none camé. As he left his tent one morning to go on picket, for twenty-four hours he said to his tent-mate, "I want you to get mne a letter to-day if you have to write it."
"All right," said the comrade, and no sooner liad they separated than the task of filling the order for a letter, was under- taken,and with what success it was ac- complished the following account will show :
To make sure that the comrade (who by the way was a bachelor) should not be disappointed on his return to camp thie next day a letter-love-letter, of course- was prepared. It was dated Brookline, Mass., and written fine to imitate a lady's handwriting and signed "Hattie M. Has- tings." It was then enclosed in an envel- ope, properly addressed, and stamped with a cancelled stamp from an old letter, and postmarked by inking the rim of a large cent and placing it on the envelope,
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thus forming a large circle within which was printed-with a bit of a stick-the date and name of the post office from which it purported to come, and thus made ready for delivery.
The following day the letter was deliv- ered as per order.
The recipient unsuspectingly opened the precious missive and with a fluttering heart, I doubt not, read "My dear etc., etc.
The sentiments of the letter struck a re- sponsive chord in his heart. "He showed it to some of his intimate companions, saying he was very sure he knew the lady and that she played the organ in one of the churches, and he should answer it at once. He answered the letter according to request.
In a few days-before time for a return mail-the author of the joke, thinking it too good (or too bad) to keep, confessed his guilt in the matter to the disappoint- ment and chagrin of his victim who,how- ever, made the best of his situation by ac- knowledging the joke as a good one, well- played.
Having been an intimate friend of the comrade on whom the joke was played, and the one who played it, I saw the letter and learned the circumstances of getting it up and the fact that it was immediately answered, therefore can vouch for the truth of the incident as related.
I will give another incident in army ex- perience which was personal. Our regi- ment was building corduroy roads about ten miles from camp. We were there sev- eral days. During the time I wished to write a letter to my brother. I had in my portfolio a sheet of paper, an envelope and a postage stamp. When I took out my paper I found that unfortunately the stamp had firmly adhered to the sheet of paper instead of the envelope. As I could not remove the stamp I wrote my letter, then folded the sheet so the stamp came outside. I then cut a hole in the envel- ope the size of the stamp-the location corresponding to that of the stamp on the sheet-so that when the letter was sealed the stamp appeared on the face of it.
After addressing the letter I wrote the following lines on the end near the stamp withoutintentwhen I wont White on a tramp, this postage stamp
To my paper like a wafer
It did stick.
Now a soldier on a tramp, Can't afford to lose a stamp, So let these lines to all develope Why the hole in this envelope.
There were in the army, as elsewhere, funny jokes, and jokes not so funny. It was one of the latter class that was played upon one of our officers at Liberty, Vir- ginia. He went outside of our picket line -accompanied by his servant-to a house for a dinner, I suppose. Unfortunately for him it so happened, or was planned, that the family had other guests in the house, who were there for the same pur- pose or more likely for the purpose of playing just the joke that was perpetrated on one, namely : cutting him off from Lib- erty, by capture and confinement for a sea- son in Libby Prison, confiscating his horses,and carrying his servant to Ander- sonville, where he died.
WILDERNESS
April 30th, 1864, the " Army of the Poto- mac moved." We broke camp at Liberty, Va., and with the army led by our new commander, General Grant, advanced to meet the enemy. The first days march was a short one, (about five miles.) Our di- vision gathering near Rappahannock Sta- tion encamped for the night. The next morning we crossed the river for the fif- teenth time, making another short march to Brandy Station.
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